Ok, so I am super picky about pizza but I will absolutely try anything once. I can definitely say that I will be back to Hot Rod Willy's! First of all just know that a calm sit down atmosphere isn't this place, it is absolutely a take out, take home restaurant. That being said the gal who took my order was very helpful and suggested the best pizza's for what I described I wanted. The service was spot on and yes, she was correct. Now for the pizzas!! I got an all meat Chicago, Detroit combo and a Hawaiian. The Chicago stole the show with plenty of meat, a heavy cheese and the topping of sauce was perfect. The sauce wasn't too sweet and seemed like fresh tomatoes, not the fake sugary sauce that you might buy in bulk. I love a good sauce but I am not a tomato lover so this was surprising. The other pizzas were just as good but we need to talk about the dough. The dough was almost perfect with a crisp bite, but not dry or rubbery. Again, not too sweet either but seemed to carry the weight of the toppings well and didn't cave in. Overall I would put Hot Rod Willy's Pizza at about a solid 8 for the entire experience. The cost was reasonable and I would definitely travel from Merced to Fresno again to snag a few pizzas. I would encourage the owner to take a look at Merced if he chooses to expand! read more

First time here back in July & the taste is amazing and that sauce is most definitely on a higher level of quality. All fresh ingredients and cooked to perfection. I got a calzone combination as well as a Chicago style deep dish combination pizza . Family owned, super friendly service and the ambiance/ atmosphere is cute. Go try it and let me know what you think Thank you read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - Combination calzone - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

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I was recommended this pizza spot by a friend. It is right off Shaw and First with a fairly busy parking lot. I ordered over the phone and got the California style with crispy crust. When I came to pick it up, staff were very friendly and attentive. They answered all my questions. Only downside is this is mainly a takeout spot. The pizza itself was AWESOME. Dare I say this is one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Everything was fresh and the cheese was awesome. I highly recommend trying this spot! read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

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I have heard so many positive things about Hot Rod Willy's and it definitely lives up to the hype. I tried their Chicago style pepperoni pizza and garlic bread sticks and wow they were both delicious. The sauce on the Chicago style was awesome. You can tell the ingredients were fresh. I ordered online which was easy and my pizza was done within 20 min. I was surprised by how small it is inside. There's only a few tables if you were wanting to dine in so it's not ideal for large groups. I'm for sure going back to try a different style of pizza! read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - Chicago style - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

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This could have been a decent pizza BUT, our overall experience was a 1 star. And that is being generous. The cashier woman said their best selling pizza was Chicago style, I beg to differ, I've lived in Chicago and they wouldn't sell me a burned crust with the underside burned as well. The meat was not cooked. The owner was less apologetic, and could cars less. If you want an amazing pizza DON'T GO HERE! read more

The Sicilian Pizza Was Phenomenal - Sausage Pastrami Canadian Bacon Black Olives Mushroom - Excellent !!

Delicious!! Pizza was on point. Had the deep dish and I can't say enough. Will be going back soon.

Wow! This place is amazing. I cannot believe I've lived here for 20 years and did not know about it until I read it on a Facebook post. The outside is not very impressive and it is pretty small with very limited seating, but that is not what you are there for. First of all you choose from the style of pizza you want. They have Chicago deep dish, Sicilian style, Detroit style, California style, and calzone's. The personal pizzas cost around $10 and the whole pies are 20 bucks and then you can add toppings for anywhere from $1.50 to $5.00. They do not skimp on the toppings or the cheese or anything. The sauce is phenomenal and the crust is perfect. We were there on Father's Day Sunday and it looked like their whole family was in there working. Kids and everything. Everybody was very nice and helpful. I already can't wait to go back. read more

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BEST PIZZA SPOT IN FRESNO. I was flabbergasted after trying the deep dish pizza. It truly is phenomenal and worth trying. Absulotely worth every penny I spent here. Since I'm from out of town and just in the area for work for a few days I looked up pizza on Yelp and found this spot. I first tried placing an order last Saturday and they were sold out at 5pm! I took that as a sign and new i had to check them out asap. I placed my order on Tuesday and I was so happy I did come try this place. The deep dish pizza is where it at. I ordered a personal pizza for myself and it was MASSIVE. Smothered with cheese and sauce just how I love my pizzas. The sauce is probably some of the best I have ever had in general. This pizza is truly of superb quality and it was truly appreciated. A MUST if you haven't tried them yet. Do your life a favor and come here if you love pizza. You will not regret it, trust me. Thanks Hot Rod Willys for the awesome pizza! Can't wait to come back again soon, till next time. read more

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Ever have a Detroit style pizza? Me neither. . . until I came to Willy's! Back east folks are LOYAL to, yea, FANATICAL even, about WHO makes the BEST pizza. Just ask ANYONE from; New York, Chicago, California, Italy (WAAY 'back east') or Michigan. I dare you. Or come here & try them all in ONE location! :D I ordered their vegetarian DETROIT STYLE. Ummm yes. . . it was VERY good! Fresh, FRESH ingredients, generous with the gooey-stringy cheese and had a nice yeasty crust. That crispy burnt edge. . . IS delectable. Makes me one GLAD sister! ZOOM-ZOOM! read more

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Today was our first time here. Everyone picked something different. We got a Pesto California Pizza, an all meat Sicilian, an all meat deep dish and a Italian calzone. All four were great. Topping were very fresh and the cook on all of the food was perfect. We will be back read more

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Tried to order online, but I messed it up, so I went to the store to order. The lady at the counter said orders can be called in, too. Ordered my pizza and she said it would be about 20 minutes. She was super nice and helpful. Ordered a 12" Sicilian pizza with toppings of my choice. Tiny place, but there were a few tables inside and a couple outside, too. Looking forward to trying their pizza, as they have good reviews. I'll post an update after dinner! OK, here's my update! That is one good pizza! The hubby ate two squares and I managed two squares, minus the crusts. So, a 12" Sicilian is dinner for two, twice! The crust was about an inch thick and very tasty. The red sauce had a good flavor. The hubby said I could give Yelp a thumbs up for him (he is very picky about his pizzas) and HRW's passed the test! Yay, they're close to home, so that's convenient. You can order other pizza styles, too, besides the Sicilian. NY, Detroit or Chicago. They definitely have something good going on there, so give them a try! Next Day P.S.: This style of pizza is absolutely awesome reheated in the microwave. Soooo good! read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - This is the place. In the same parking lot as CVS. - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

I haven't had a Chicago-style deep dish for longer than my daughter has been alive (ok, she's in middle school, and I have had a couple since she was born). See the pictures on Yelp, and figured this would be a fun daddy-daughter date to try. I ordered the pepperoni & sausage deep dish, she ordered the personal calzone with pineapple & ham. We traded slices, and both thoroughly enjoyed it. Staff were friendly and helpful; wait was less than the expected 25 minutes. I was full on a 1/4 of each; ate the leftovers the next day. I've told co-workers who have since tried Hot Rod Willy's Pizza with rave reviews. read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - Pep and sausage personal Chicago-style deep dish & The Hawaiian personal calzone. - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

I've always had to be careful with pizza sauces so I tend to avoid eating pizza, but this place is a game-changer for me. I probably get pizza every 2-3 months and take the risk for an upset stomach. After coming here, I could eat this every week if I wanted to! It was my first time trying their Chicago style and it was delicious. The atmosphere is very homely, and the sweet lady who helped me made me feel right at home. It's definitely a local favorite, so keep in mind they can sell out early. I'll be back soon to try the rest of the menu! :) read more

Super friendly staff super personable & polite! pizza was great still super crispy on the bottom hard to find especially on a deep dish pizza full of flavor! I'm definitely coming back! read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - Chicago Deep dish combo pizza - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

I recommend the Chicago and Detroit style pizza; nothing quite like in the Fresno/Clovis area. Consistently delicious, fresh, and on time (is ready when it says it'll be ready). I typically pick it up to go, although there are a few tables inside to dine in if you prefer that. The customer service is always friendly and attentive. Overall, it's a great spot and is worth a try if you're having a deep dish pizza crave. read more

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I went here over the weekend and the food was a banger, it was pretty good and I enjoyed the vibe, it's small but they did their utmost best to just let us eat in. The lady who took our order was really sweet. The Deep Dish was pretty good, at little too crispy on the edges but still good overall. read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - Deep Dish - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

Always love the opportunity to indulge in Chicago-style deep dish, and Hot Rod Willy's definitely hits the spot! I would honestly eat here weekly if I could. This review is a bit late as I have visited a handful of times after searching far and wide for deep dish and finally discovering HRW. The deep dish is always well seasoned, the sauce is flavorful, and the cheese is dense and gooey. Not sure that much else matters! The toppings can get somewhat "lost in the sauce," but let's be honest - if you're eating deep dish you're here for the cheese and tomatoes. The staff members are always friendly, the food comes out on time, and the results are consistent. I think it's a waste to compare versions of regional cuisines and would rather just enjoy food for what it is. So if you're looking for "authentic" (whatever that means), you may or may not enjoy HRW. But if you're looking for delicious, well-crafted pizza from people who are enthusiastic about their product, this is the spot. I look forward to enjoying and sharing HRW for many, many years to come. And next time I'll remember to take pictures before diving in! read more

Pizza that is so good that we ordered twice in 1 week! I love all kinds of food but my heart has a weak spot for pizza and Hot Rod Willy's has just become my foodie heart's bff! The thick, crispy, cheesy crust of the Detroit style pizza was amazing and satisfied my craving for my favorite pizza style. The Sicilian style nailed the focaccia-like crust. The 16 hours they put into proofing their handmade dough highlights the care that is put into crafting these delicious pizzas, along with the homemade sauce, locally sourced ingredients and super friendly service! We ordered over the phone the first time and online the second and both were easy options. There is limited seating inside, with most customers ordering to go. We will definitely become regulars at Hot Rod Willy's Pizza! read more

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Closest I could find in town to Chicago deep dish pizza. The deep dish was real similar to what you'd find in Chicago. They only have 2 sizes of pizza...personal & large. The price was surprisingly moderate, considering the deepness of the pizza. Highly recommend Hot Rod Willys and will definitely return. read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - Deep dish, large w/ sausage, pepperoni & black olives. - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

Being from Illinois and hearing about deep dish pizza I really thought I'd see another place with a California made of version. Not this place. Authentic as can be. Hands down best in the valley. If I'm missing home I get a deep dish from here. If you haven't tried one this is the spot to get your badge at as it's gonna be like you're ordering from the west side of Chicago. Hats off to you sir. You're killing it. read more

Their pizzas are amazing! I love the variety on the types of pizza you can get. We went with a Chicago pizza with olives, pepperoni and garlic. The ordering process is fairly simple. Choose your type, then your size, then toppings. The staff are incredibly friendly and it's family owned. I want to come back and try all their other pizza styles! (The Chicago pizza will be hard to beat). You gotta try them out! read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - Chicago pizza - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

Great Pizza...got the Chicago Cheese and sauce only . Simple is the best to judge. My son loves the Sicilian.. read more

Ordered a Chicago Deep Dish with Pepperoni, Sausage and Mushrooms. Been meaning to try this place for a while now, but finally decided to go (from a little encouragement from TikTok). First of all, this place does NOT play when it comes to their cheese! As you can see in the pictures. The sauce was perfect, the dough was even better and it was cooked to absolute perfection. 10000000/10 will be returning at some point. Definitely a hidden gem for me. Stop reading this already and go support! read more

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What a most excellent Detroit style pizza to be found in Fresno! Ok folks, Detroit style pizza is square shaped and kind of a medium deep dish pizza. The best slices are the corners and the edges because of how perfectly the edges or crust and cheese crisp up. Do not sleep on this!! What Hot Rod Willy's excels at is not just execution, but also incredibly flavorful ingredients. Red sauce is perfection. Cheese is perfection. Sausage is perfection. There are no seats inside, so you'll need to take it to their outside tables or take it home. The owners are also super sweet and obviously care about what they do. read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - Margherita Detroit style - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

Oh man! this place is great! I'm so glad they have a place that sells Detroit style and Chicago deep dish style that's personal size. I mean, I never checked any place else but ik this place specializes in it. I got the Detroit style margerita and my bf got the Chicago deep dish spicy Hawaiian. His was really good!! Mine was good too but for margerita I should've did a thin crust instead. It was too much bread. But the sauce was koo. I kinda wanted more basil. I think I'll go for a supreme next time but Chicago style. Service was great. Lady was nice. There's outdoor seating and indoor but apparently u can't sit and eat inside. read more

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The pizza and calzones are spectacular. Family run business filled with lots of love and laughter. If you plan on dining in, smaller parties are ideal. There's some seating inside and some outside. Lots of people seem to call in for pickup at this establishment. My family and I enjoy dining in! read more

First time here. I ordered two personal pizzas. A Sicilian with mushrooms and a Detroit with olives. Wow! Amazing! The Sicilian cheese was more gooey and the bread/dough was buttery. Absolutely delicious. The Detroit was delicious as well. Cheese was less gooey but it was definitely giving the Detroit vibes of a deep dish pizza. The outer dough/crush was nice and crispy on the corner edges and slightly around the rest of the edging. The cheese consistency gave it exactly that deep dish Detroit vibes. The pizza sauce was amazing. Not too acidic just perfect. They offer other pizza sauces as well from your traditional one. Customer service was great. Very friendly and attentive. The business/place was very clean and I like the ambiance of seeing the cooks doing such an art of work (cooking up the pizzas). If you're in town or on this side of town I recommend trying out a different version of pizzas. read more

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4/12/2025 trying this place for the first time. All meat pizza deep dish. As soon as I walked in, they had my pizza ready. Place is small but very clean, couple table's inside and outside. Service was great, but I asked the young man what's the most ordered item here since it was my first time, and he responded with, would you like some plates ? Oooookay ;) anyways the pizza was delicious. The ranch was nice and thick and the jalapeños had a nice lil spice to em. Make sure you have plenty of napkins though, it gets a lil messy but it's totally worth it. I'm definitely gonna return and will recommend to others. Ty HRW for the great experience read more

Hot Rod Willy's Pizza - All Meat Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Fresno, California

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We got the deep dish and it was solid. This is a cute mom and pop shop with excellent service. The dough and sauce was tasty with a ton of cheese. I would say it may be best deep dish in Fresno but not as good as Zachary's in the bay. read more

Best pizza place I've visited in awhile. They have many options for the types of pizza. My friend and I ordered different types. I ordered the Detroit style pizza with veggie toppings and garlic bread with cheese and my friend ordered the thin crust pizza combination. Although my friend's thin crust didn't have thin crust, her actual pizza was very thin. She enjoyed her pizza. I had a unique Detroit style pizza which took a little longer to make but was so delicious. The cheese was crispy and hanging off of the crust, which was perfect. My only issue is that I ate too much of it, and it expanded in my stomach. But the food itself was amazing. I think the garlic bread with cheese had something on it that I want a fan of. Maybe it was too much butter or grease on top? But it tasted better when I warmed it up later. The owners are super sweet and we chatted with them for a bit. They know their pizzas! And it is always great to support local. They have a couple of tables outside and then about four tables inside. It says no indoor dining but when I asked about it, it really just means that they don't provide restrooms for customers. It was a little warm inside. With such great pizzas and options here...Needless to say, I will be returning! read more

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We all loved our pizzas. We had the spicy wings which were great size and cooked perfectly. The wings are baked. Good tasty ranch. Service was friendly and helpful. There are multiple tables inside, but it is a little loud from the oven running. There are a few tables outside, which was perfect for us. I definitely will come back for my Chicago style pizza fix and look forward to trying some more flavor combinations. read more

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From the moment we stepped inside, the atmosphere felt warm and inviting. The place has a cozy, casual vibe that makes it perfect for grabbing a meal with friends or family. The team was kind, attentive, and seemed genuinely happy to make sure everyone was having a great experience The food came out fresh and full of flavor -- you can tell everything is made with care. The crust was crisp on the outside and soft inside, the sauce had just the right balance, and every bite was delicious. It's clear that a lot of thought goes into both the food and the service here. Even though it was a busy day, everything ran smoothly, and we felt completely taken care of. This spot has definitely earned a place on our list of favorites -- can't wait to come back and try more! read more

Big and generous portions and it tastes really good. And the manger was very nice,. Also the decorations were really cool

Hot Rod Willy's menu has something for everyone. Like Chicago style? Detroit style? How about California (like New York but with water from the Sierras)? Hot Rod Willy's has it it all! Prices are quite affordable making it easy to order several different pizzas to please the gang. Tip: Try the pepperoni but skip the sausage (didn't match the quality of the other ingredients) Ordered for pick up and everything was ready and piping hot. read more

Ordered the Chicago style pizza It tasted Great and it was affordable. The service was great the workers in there are very kind people.

I give HRW 3.5 stars on their Chicago style pizza. I was looking forward to something close to a Chicago deep style, so I ordered one. Mind you I've eaten at Lou Malnati's, Giodano's and Pequods deep dish pizzerias in Chicago many times, so I know what the real deal tastes like. Pros: 1.) Decent sauce flavor, tasty crust 2.) Decent price Cons: 1.) Skimpy on the toppings; way less meat & less cheese than I'm used to 2.) Bottom crust was w-a-y too thick Overall, It felt as if I was eating bread with a touch of everything else. Mind you, it's a good tasting pizza but I'm not sure if I'll go back. read more

The staff were very kind and helpful. I ordered a personal Chicago for lunch. I perused the other shops in the area while waiting for it to cook. The wait was very reasonable. I took it home to enjoy. I have a very specific memory of what a Chicago stkye pizza ahould be and, for me this wasn't really it. The crust was a bit thick, and the toppings were just kinda meh. Not bad, but not broke da mouth either. I might come back and try their white sauce. Again, the staff were wonderful..I'm just not in love with the pie. read more

I love this place. I like all the different versions of pizza they offer and the quality is amazing. I've tried a little bit of everything and it is always hard to decide what to choose. This is one of the coolest pizza spots that I have ever been to, across the USA...I think the prices are very reasonable for what you get. read more

super friendly staff! was difficult to pick which was better between the detroit and chicago style pizza but i'd give the slight edge to the detroit. will definitely be back! read more

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